Lockable sliders for zipper-fasteners



Q p 6, 1966 TAKEO FUKUROI 3,270,535

LOCKABLE SLIDERS FOR ZIPPER-FASTENERS Filed Oct. 28, 1964 United States Patent 3,270,535 LOCKABLE SLIDERS FOR ZIPPER-FASTENERS Takeo Fukuroi, Uozu-shi, Japan, assignor to Yoshida Kogyo K.K., Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Oct. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 407,199 Claims priority, application Japan, Jan. 22, 1964, 39/ 2,821 3 Claims. (Cl. 70-68) This invention relates to zipper-fasteners, and more particularly to lockable sliders for zipperfasteners.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lockable slider for zipper-fastener, of which the lock can be actuated to the locking position very smoothly irrespective of the position of the slider relative to the fastening teeth of the zipper-fastener.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lockable slider of the kind specified, which may be locked at any convenient position relative to the zipperfastener, and can, thereafter, be driven further only in the direction in which the zipper is closed further.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lockable slider of the kind specified, in which the lock is never actuated to the locking position incidentally, such as by external impulse or vibration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lockable slider of the kind specified, which is simple in construction, reliable in operation, and particularly adapted for use in travelling bags, suitcases, and the like.

There are still other objects and particularities of the present invent-ion, which will be made obvious from the following detailed description of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a slider embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the slider shown in FIG. 1, with the lock mechanism in released position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the parts in locking position; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional view of two other embodiments of the invention, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a circular bore 1 is formed in the slider body at its upper forward portion. In the slider body, a rectangular recess 2 is also formed at the upper rearward portion in continuation with the bore 1, and a cover plate 3 closes both of the bore 1 and the recess 2. The bottom of recess 2 is partly open as at 4 to the sliding portion for the fastener chain, not shown. A cylindrical cam element 5 having a slant cam face 18 of annular shape is received rotatably in the bore 1, and is provided with a front key hole 8 of a particular shape adapted for cooperation with a particular key, not shown. A pair of opposite grooves 7, 7 are formed in the diametrically opposite sides of the key hole 8, and a corresponding pair of ribs 9, 9 are provided on the cover plate 3 at the diametrically opposite sides of a key hole 6 formed in the cover plate 3 and coincident in configuration with the key hole 8. The cam element 5 is biased upwardly by a coil spring 11 received in a recess formed in the slider body 10.

In the rear recess 2 is disposed a lever member 12 pivot-ally mounted on a pin 14 which is supported at its opposite ends by the opposite side walls of the slider body, the pin ends engaging in grooves 19 formed in the side walls of slider body 10. The forward end of lever 12 is held in contact with the annular cam face 18 of an element 5, while the rearward end of lever 12 carries a pawl member 13, and is biased by a U-bent leaf spring in such a direction that the pawl member 13 may be moved beyond the opening 4 therethrough. Normally, however, the pawl 13 is held retracted within the recess 2 by virice tue of the forward end of lever 12 being in contact with the highest portion 18 of annular cam face 18 (FIG. 2) at the released lock position.

The leaf spring 15 associated with the pawl-restraining lever 12 may, alternatively, be a plate spring 15 formed in integral with the pawl-restraining lever 12 as shown in FIG. 4, or a plate spring 15 formed in integral with the cover plate 3 as shown in FIG. 5. In either of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pivot pin 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is omitted, and instead, a semicylindrical rib 17 and a cooperating recess 16 are formed on the pawl-restraining lever 12 or 12 and the slider body 10.

Normally, when locking is not required, the cylindrical element 5 is turned to the release position as shown in FIG. 2 by use of a key, not shown, and the pawl member 13 is held retracted within the recess 2, as hereinbefore described. When required, the key is inserted into the key holes 68, and thereby the cylindrical element 5 is turned by degrees to the locking position, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 or 5. Then, the pawl-restraining lever 12 contacts the lowest portion 18 of the annular cam face, and the pawl 13 is moved by the force of spring 15, 15 or 15 to project beyond the window opening 4 into fastening teeth of the fastener chain. The slider body 10 is thus prevented from moving in the direction to open the zipper fastener.

According to the present invention, the lock pawl 13 is not actuated directly by cam motion as in conventional ones, but is actuated indirectly through a spring force in an extremely natural manner, so that, even if the pawl 13 would come into con-tact with the tops of fastening teeth at the beg-inning of locking motion, but not proceed into the interspace of fastening teeth, the cam cylinder 5 is not prevented from turning continuously by virtue of the resiliency of spring 15, and when the slider body 10 is moved slightly, the pawl 13 automatically gets into the next interspace of fastening teeth to effect the required locking. Thus, the locking mechanism is never subjectedto any such compulsive force during locking operation that might damage the parts.

In addition, because of the fact that the locking pawl 13 is under the resilient restraining force by virtue of spring 15 in the locking position, the slider body 10 can be moved further in the direction of closing the zipper fastener, but not in the opposite direction. Consequently, in a travelling bag for example, the key may be inserted into the key holes at any convenient position easy for operation of the key for effecting the locking, and then the key may be withdrawn from the key holes, while the slider body 10 can be moved further in the closing direction.

It is also to be understood that the provision of normally engaging grooves 7 and ribs 9 prevents the cam cylinder 5 from being accidentally rotated by external impulse or vibration. When a key is inserted into the key holes 68, the manual force for the insertion compresses the coil spring 11 to axially shift the cam cylinder 5 for disengaging the grooves 7 from ribs 9, and the cam cylinder 5 is rendered free to rotate.

What is claimed is:

1. A lockable slider for a zipper fastener, the slider comprising aslider body having, formed therein, an upwardly opening forward bore and an upwardly opening rearward recess in communication with each other, a cylindrical cam element rota-tably received in said bore and having a slanted annular cam face at the inner end and a key hole in the upper portion, a cover plate closing said forward bore and provided with a key hole formed in registration with said key hole of said cam element, the cover plate closing also said rearward recess, a lever member pivotally mounted in said rearward recess with the fore end in engagement with said slanted annular cam face, a resilient means for biasing the rear end of said lever member downwardly, and a locking pawl member formed on the rear end of said lever member for cooperation with a fastener chain, known per se, of said zipper fastener, when the rear end of said lever member has been moved to the downward limit of its movement in which the fore end of said lever member is held in engagement with the lowest point of said slanted annular cam face by force of said resilient means.

2. The lockable slider according to claim 1, in which said cylindrical cam element and said cover plate are provided with disen-gageable interlocking means that are held in the interlocking positions by a spring separate 3. The lockable slider according to claim 1, in which said lever member is swingably mounted on a pivot pin that is slidably supported at its opposite ends in grooves formed in the opposite side walls of said slider body in parallel with the axis of said cylindrical cam element.

References Cited by the Examiner from said resilient means when said cam element is either 15 BOBBY Primary E n rin the locking position or in the fully releasing position. 

1. A LOCKABLE SLIDER FOR A ZIPPER FASTENER, THE SLIDER COMPRISING A SLIDER BODY HAVING, FORMED THEREIN, AN UPWARDLY OPENING FORWARD BORE AND AN UPWARDLY OPENING REARWARD RECESS IN COMMUNICATION WITH EACH OTHER, A CYLINDRICAL CAM ELEMENT ROTATABLY RECEIVED IN SAID BORE AND HAVING A SLANTED ANNULAR CAM FACE AT THE INNER END AND A KEY HOLE IN THE UPPER PORTION, A COVER PLATE CLOSING SAID FORWARD BORE AND PROVIDED WITH A KEY HOLE FORMED IN REGISTRATION WITH SAID KEY HOLE OF SAID CAM ELEMENT, THE COVER PLATE CLOSING ALSO SAID REARWARD RECESS, A LEVER MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID REARWARD RECESS WITH THE FORE END IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SLANTED ANNULAR CAM FACE, A RESILIENT MEANS FOR BIASING THE REAR END OF SAID LEVER MEMBER DOWNWARDLY, AND A LOCKING PAWL MEMBER FORMED ON THE REAR END OF SAID LEVER MEMBER FOR COOPERATION WITH A FASTENER CHAIN, KNOWN PER SE, OF SAID ZIPPER FASTENER, WHEN THE REAR END OF SAID LEVER MEMBER HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE DOWNWARD LIMIT OF ITS MOVEMENT IN WHICH THE FORE END OF SAID LEVER MEMBER IS HELD IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWEST POINT OF SAID SLANTED ANNULAR CAM FACE BY FORCE OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS. 